[Jason M. Hendler]

3 part interview of Elon Musk, Chairman of Tesla Motors:

Link

It is a fascinating read, make sure you read the whole linked article first, then jump to Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3, for which links are provided in the article that I have linked.

Of note, Elon states that the codenamed Whitestar sedan that Tesla is developing will NOT be a hybrid, but a pure BEV. He hints that they have upcoming announcements about their powertrain (the author seems to coax from Elon that it is battery related) that would make the sedan more functional, which I am interpreting as "rapid recharge" - maybe I am just wishing. He sure hangs the "silly hybrid idea" around Martin's neck. Considering that there is NO rapid recharge infrastructure in CA or the US, I don't see hybrids as silly.

If Ellon is clinging to the BEV approach, then he has no ground to stand on with Fisker, as Fisker developed a series hybrid sedan, and Tesla Motors hired him to develop a BEV sedan, so you could well imagine the effect that more batteries would have on a vehicle design, especially when that weight needs to remain centrally located.

 

[Jason M. Hendler]

Here is another recent interview of Elon Musk:

Link

In the last one, he dismisses range extenders, and in this one, he dismisses fuel cells. I think that he is planning to just stick with the BEV powertrain that he has created, and doesn't want any added development costs / risks in adding a range extender or fuel cell.

He again hints that he has battery / power train licensing / sales with a major automaker. As Mercedes is the only automaker with whom they've admitted talking, I think it may be with them. Elon sure seems giddy about Tesla's future.

 

[RevDMV]

He's got that infectious energy to him. I like that.

It'll be fun to see them ramp up, it's huge deal to build tens (or hundreds) of thousands of automobiles.

 

[manntis]

He's got that infectious energy to him. I like that.

It'll be fun to see them ramp up, it's huge deal to build tens (or hundreds) of thousands of automobiles.

Not all automotive manufacturers need to build that quantity to do well. Witness boutique manufacturers like Porsche, which sells lower volume cars yet has made enough to buy a substantial stake in Volkswagen.

 

[RevDMV]

True, but in the interview he speaks of wanting to do that sort of volume in the future.

There's a big difference between being the fun new startup, and dealing with global supply chain management and daily build quality.